• LIFE

  Courageous convictions

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 19/01/2012

  » 'When we came back and saw the state of our school, we didn't know where to begin. We didn't know what to touch first or pick up first," said Janaprakal "Khru Chang" Chandruang.

• LIFE

  Troupes on display

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 15/02/2012

  » In the hodgepodge of student, amateur, professional and comeback theatre troupes that, for a decade, have together defined the Bangkok Theatre Festival (BTF), it can be difficult to discover the shining newcomers. Even those who have been on the scene for years can easily get lost in the muddle. While regular theatre-goers may prefer to invest their energy in watching the works of long-standing reputable troupes, sometimes it's the new discoveries that make your theatre-going experience all the more worthwhile and exciting. We talked to newly formed and lesser-known companies of veterans and new blood to give you a glimpse into this year's festival and the direction of the local theatre scene.

• LIFE

  The root and fruit of Love

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 03/05/2012

  » As much of Thailand's classical trove consists of creations from the court, it comes as no surprise that kings in Thai literature are mostly portrayed as exquisite, god-like beings _ the epitome of goodness and wisdom. Some contemporary Thai artists like to mine the canon to create works for the purpose of teaching the accepted set of morals and ethics, rather than to question them.

• LIFE

  The price of free speech

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 11/10/2012

  » Pridi Banomyong Institute has always been an art venue of the smaller voices _ a refuge of sorts for the young, struggling artists, especially the politically minded ones. Theatre-goers know all too well that the venue is also home to two theatre companies, Crescent Moon Theatre and B-Floor Theatre, and their tiny rehearsal and performance spaces, Crescent Moon Space and B-Floor Room.

• LIFE

  Getting in on the act

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 04/04/2013

  » March was a busy month for theatre-goers as artists apparently rushed to stage their shows before holiday-packed April arrived. Here are a selection of theatre and dance productions that were staged last month, some of which are ongoing.

• LIFE

  Whirlwind of history

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 10/10/2013

  » To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Oct 14, 1973, student uprising, B-Floor Theatre and the students from Thammasat University's Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts journey into the past, scrutinise the present and look to the future in the spirited, moving Typhoon (The Remains).

• LIFE

  Dragon's Heart returns

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 26/08/2016

  » Musicals about the lives of Thai defenders of democracy and human rights have come to define director and playwright Pradit Prasartthong's body of work since he founded the Anatta Theatre Troupe in 2012. He's imagined the intimate and personal moments of the late writer Sriburapa, first lady Poonsuk Banomyong and former rector of Thammasat University and Free Thai Movement member Puey Ungphakorn.

• LIFE

  Swings and misses

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 15/12/2016

  » These theatre newcomers close 2016 with daring productions. Even though some of the results were uneven, their desire to make meaningful and thought-provoking art is palpable

• LIFE

  Gung-ho newcomers and tireless veterans

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 23/11/2017

  » And yet another Bangkok Theatre Festival (BTF) has come and gone, almost in a flash.

• LIFE

  New singers, oldest band

  Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 28/03/2019

  » The Suntaraporn Foundation has been staging musicals for seven years, and I finally made the time to go see one this past Sunday. Theatre critics in Bangkok are very aware of their annual productions, but we have largely ignored it. Perhaps it has to do with our limited definition of "contemporary theatre", and our tendency to turn our noses up at anything that feels traditional and conservative.

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